I was recently left a comment from Alex regarding my last post where he asked;
‘i have a question , if karate is not your life , what are doing in karate?’
The whole point of this blog is that maybe other practitioners might be able to gain a little insight into their own paths through some of my own experiences and be able to relate some of these to their own practise.
What am I doing in karate? My main reason for practising is that I enjoy karatedo. I like the history, the culture, the feeling of the movements, the challenge, and the discoveries I’ve made about my own character along the way. In addition to this, my lifestyle requires a certain level of competency at defending myself, so karatedo also helps me a little in this regard.
Aside from all of this, I truly believe that practising karatedo can be very beneficial to a persons health. I’m very lucky that I have never required a trip to the doctors through illness, never been admitted to hospital, and never sustained any serious injuries or breaks despite having taken a fair few beatings in the past from both people and accidents.
Aside from the fact that I enjoy karatedo, my main reason for practise is for these health benefits. I have an almost ‘compulsive obsessive disorder’ when it comes to Sanchin, and I believe that missing just one day of Sanchin practise will have a negative effect upon my immune system. As well as this, the ability to develop a good feel for techniques is something I have worked for a long time to develop, so missing practise on a given day may lead to me losing this feel. I am aware of how strange this may sound, however I can only liken it to forgetting to brush your teeth and how strange and self conscious you would feel about yourself for the rest of the day if this happened.
Despite my strange habits and theories, I am not completely obsessive about my training. When I say karate is not my life, I do not mean it is unimportant to me. Quite the contrary, however, it is important to view karatedo in it’s correct perspective.
Miyazato Eiichi sensei advised his students that they should prioritise their time in the order of family, then work, then lastly karatedo. I think this is excellent advice. Karatedo in this sense is a major contributary factor to a persons life, but is not intrusive to the extent that it affects other more important areas of a persons life. This balance is very important, and the moment you find you are dedicating more time to your practise than to the people you love, maybe its time to come away from the dojo and re-assess what you actually want from your training?
Alex, thank you for your kind comments, and I hope this answers your question.
Thanks for writing,I really enjoyed your newest post.I think you should post more frequently,you obviously have talent for blogging!
Amen! In my opinion, karate is a wonderful, God-given art for the preservation, protection, and enhancement of life, but I do not want to end my life with all my relatives saying, “You know, he was really good at karate. That’s about all we can say about him.”
There’s just more to life than that.
Great response to Alex’s comment. I also was fortunate enough to have spoken with Miyazato Sensei before he passed away. He said those exact same words to me. Family first, then work (if I recall correctly, he said because we need money to take care of our family), then karate comes last. Another thing I’d like to add to the discussion is something that has stayed with me for years as well. This comes from a close friend of mine who is Okinawan and practices Kendo. I was having a hard time balancing karate training in my life, and he asked me a simple question:
“Why do you say ‘Onegaishimasu’ before you enter the dojo and ‘Arigato Gozaimasu’ when you leave?”
I answered: because I was taught to do this, to be respectful. He replied:
“We say these things because if you are at the dojo, then you should be thankful. This means all is well and you have the time to train. We shouldn’t just say these words out of habit, we should have a deep appreciation each time we say them.”
I’ve never forgotten this, and I believe it applies to this discussion here. It helps support what Miyazato Sensei has told us. Family first.
Chibariyo!
Gojuka,
Thank you very much for your comments and relating the story about your friend. Like you, I thought we said these words out of respect for the tradition, our sensei and our fellow practitioners, but your friends observation gives this practise greater personal meaning. Thank you very much!
Garry
Gary San,
As far Miyazato Eiichi sensei, in 1999 Sensei graded me Rokudan and sat me down in his office and told me to do the same, but with one difference. He said work, family and then karatedo. He then went on to explain that you need to work to support your family and you will always have time for karatedo…
Stay Strong!
Very nice response Gary. I couldn’t have said it better myself. This really hit home with me, as it touched upon a personal issue I’ve had in the past. I’ve started a blog myself and am seeking to get some traditional karateka to check it out and offer advice:
http://www.unmeika.com/
It’s an extremely personal blog, I hope you can help me by reading what the site is about and participating when you find time.
I also included a link to your blog in my links section, I appreciate it if you could reciprocate on that. I am also an Okinawa Gojuryu practitioner.
Thanks so much! Keep up the great work.